Museum Educators at James Madison's Montpelier
I often receive questions about dress codes for guides and docents at historic sites, so I’ve begun photographing staff at the various places I visit to share the best ideas.
At James Madison’s Montpelier, a National Trust Historic Site in Virginia, the Museum Educators wear short-sleeve button-front khaki shirts with an embroidered logo above the pocket. Staff wear them when they are presenting programs and activities for families, such as cooking and craft demonstrations. They both look professional and sturdy, and much better than t-shirts with a silk-screened logo (that may be okay for an event if you’re working at a particularly messy job).
They also wear plastic name badges that are attached with a strong magnet. It’s a nifty solution for situations where the typical name badges with pins can damage clothing, such as a silk blouse or a fine cotton shirt. There are disadvantages however. The magnets aren’t strong enough for thick materials (such as coats) or when you’re doing lots of movements and activities (such as cooking and craft demonstrations–if a corner of the badge gets caught, it can easily fall off without being noticed). And as magnets, they can damage credit cards or flash drives, so you have to be careful if you put them in purses or near your shirt pocket.
For more details, click on the images below.
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- Museum Educators at James Madison’s Montpelier
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- Museum educator’s shirt and badge (detail)
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- Montpelier staff name badge
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- Montpelier staff name badge (back)
